Raawwrrrr you ready?
The Outbreak Manila Zombies (OMZs) have gone through a lot. They’ve grown the horde through the Outbreak Manila runs. They were driven almost into extinction after some were cured, controlled or assaulted after being pawns by some self-serving factions. At Oubreak Manila Arca South, the OMZs made their presence felt to grow the horde once again by grabbing as many lifebelts as they can. It was a fresh and desperate bunch of zombies that gave dessert flats of Arca South a loud symphony of human shrieks and screams as about 5,000 humans fought their way to survival.
Outbreak Manila
Z Franc through the Outbreaks
The Zombie Journals started when my humanity ended as I weaved past through the narrowed trails of Nuvali en route to losing my remaining life lines. Each outbreak was special starting with the mystical and magical start in Nuvali when the Z virus started to spread. I joined the horde at Outbreak BGC and even the rain didn’t stop us from wreaking havoc on the rest of humanity. Outbreak Enchanted Kingdom was just epic as the theme park added to the mysticism of the Outbreak with the tides turning in the favor of the horde. The fast and flat course of Outbreak BGC was the exact opportunity for the faster and hungrier zombies to grab those precious life flags as humanity sprinted to survival. Outbreak Missions in Filinvest gave humanity a fighting chance with a cure in place to end the Z Virus but not everybody was fortunate enough to find it with Dr. Alfonso and Vera Adarna each having a different mindset of the Outbreak. The cure then came into play in Outbreak Mission Intramuros as the humans and the horde played pawns to the varying plans of the rebellion and the brotherhood in either curing or controlling the Outbreak Manila Zombies. On a side mission at the Hosla Center, the humans were armed in the battle against the horde but barely got to survive because of some treachery from certain factions.
The horde strikes back! – Photo by Pef Decena
I was among the few to take the cure at Filinvest but as it’s been proven that the cure has been unstable, which gave me times to be with the horde and at times as part of humanity observing where this ultimate battle would finally end. The horde hasn’t been felt for over a year. Unknown to humanity, the remaining forces of the Outbreak Manila Zombies has slowly been growing their horde and is about to strike back in Arca South. December 5, about 5,000 people got lured into the big barren lands of Arca South. The place had a dessert like feel with the sand dunes and some Wacky Inflatables in the area. The construction site was the perfect hideout for the horde and with that, the zombie infested obstacle course is back. There are new twist, obstacles and an even hungrier hordes of Outbreak Manila Zombies eager to finally to partake in a feast.
Runners aim to survive the zombie-infested course.
Arca South felt like a dessert with the barren lands, soft sandy roads and even the wind that gave a feel of a sand storm. The growls grew louder as the sun started to set with the horde finally getting the meal they’ve waited for more than a year. This felt like it was back in April 2012 when Outbreak Manila started to scare its way to the heart of the loyal zombie followers. For the participants, it was simple, they had to survive the distance, the obstacles and the flag-hungry zombies hell bent on taking the life flags. Three years forward and it’s still more fun to be chased by the Outbreak Manila Zombies.
Ready or not, here they come.
The Outbreak Manila zom-boss Angelo Cruz says, “People might say this is just another zombie run. That’s why we’ve worked hard to put new obstacles to give participants a screaming good time. The course surprised everyone with seven dynamic and challenging bouncy inflatables with zombies lurking in the background. Young and old, runners and walkers screamed their way through an amazing fun event.”
Inflatables are fun until except when there are zombies lurking below it.
With the loud thumping of the runners’ strides as they were dispersed in wave of two hundreds runners separated in 25 waves came the non-stop shrieking, screaming and begging for the zombies to spare their life flags. The runners worked hard to evade a fresh set of zombies that waited for them as they started the course. Another set of zombie came in to surprise them as they passed the mall and a huge tract of field. The result was total chaos as runners tried everything just so they won’t end up at the bottom of the zombie food chain.
The dark of the night also aided the OMZs in the screamfest of a night.
There are two characters of the Outbreak. The later part of the day gave you a better grasp of the zombie ahead while the night added to the scarefest with the element of the dark. The runners had to dodge, sprint and beg zombies approaching. The more chaotic things went the more it favored the horde. The course shifted to a more barren stretch in Arca South with friends like Mogu Mogu giving runners a boost with extra life.
Mogu Mogu gave runners an extra life.
The inflatables were fun as the runners got to feel the inner child within them as they climbed, crawled, sled through the inflatables. While the inflatables were indeed wacky additions, they also made runners complacent. Just when they are about to exit each inflatables, there were zombies ahead. Fun was one element of the experience but survival is the name of the game. This created a bottleneck in the obstacles which gave the zombies a better chance at grabbing lives.
The inflatables was a refuge and also a trap if you’d stay too long.
The area of the inflatables felt like a dessert or Tatooine for Star Wars fun. You had to navigate the soft sandy surface where you would be slowed down by the drag caused by the sands. This was the perfect opportunity for the horde to grab more flags.
Outbreak Tatooine
There’s still a few surprises after that as there are zombies blocking the road heading to the water supplies. These zombies do know where to position themselves as people going for the next water break gets to play ‘patintero’ with the zombies. The zombie fever still runs high now. More than the love for zombies, Outbreak Manila is about having fun and sharing experiences with your friends and family.
Are you afraid of the dark?
Once you’ve reached the water supply, you’re about half way through. That just means you’ll have to face the zombies you’ve survived the first time around and it doesn’t get easier. The zombies do have the instinct of grabbing the last few flags on your belt for them to grow their horde. You get to pass the field and the mall once again. You get to pass a short forest area before you get to enjoy another set of inflatables and yes, that comes of your friendly neighborhood Outbreak Manila Zombies too. After that, it’s survival, at least for now. Knowing the appetite of the horde, there’s no doubt that the horde will strike once again with a bigger show of force the next time around.
Is this Zombie related to Mogu Mogu?
The threat of the Outbreak Manila Zombie is once again neutralized. For how long? That’s an answer for another Outbreak and another venue to be told. How about you? How was your Outbreak Manila experience and where would you want to have next Outbreak?
That’s All Folks!!!
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